8 Quick Remedies To Vanquish Heartburn

Heartburn is simply described as that burning sensation felt around the chest, just behind the breast bone or upper central abdomen

It usually happens when stomach acids moves back up into the esophagus (the channel or tube through which food is transported from the mouth to the stomach).

Normally when food is swallowed, muscles located at the lower esophagus relax so that food and drink can be carried to the stomach, and then tighten up again afterwards like a valve. When these muscles relax outside of eating and drinking, stomach acid flows into the esophagus to cause a wicked case of heartburn. It could be worse when lying down.

When heartburn occurs more than twice in a week, it could be a sign of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) which irrigates the esophagus and, if left untreated, can result to open sores and narrowing of the esophagus. If you are vomiting, have difficulty swallowing, or experiencing nausea, it’s time you visit your doctor.

In the meantime, here are some fast acting remedies for heartburn;

8 Quick Remedies To Vanquish Heartburn

1. Eat A Big Breakfast & A Small Dinner

Inverting the meal size status quo – that is, eating a large breakfast, a medium sized lunch, and a light dinner – can have a substantial impact on our digestive processes. Because insulin – the hormone responsible for processing sugars and storing glucose – is most active early in the day, eating a big breakfast provides a good boost to metabolic processes, like fasting glucose levels. Saving the largest meal for night time, on the other hand, leads to higher BMIs and waist circumference, according to a study published in 2013.

In addition to weight loss and healthier metabolic panel, eating breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper might help mitigate the frequency of heartburn.

2. Lose The Spare Tire

Excess fat around the abdomen is a major risk factor for developing a hiatal hernia, a condition where the upper part of the stomach slips through the diaphragm and into the lower esophagus.

While small hiatal hernias are usually symptom-free and don’t cause digestive issues, a large hiatal hernia can allow stomach acid and food to back up into the esophagus to cause heartburn.

3. Identify Your Heartburn Triggers

If you notice you've been getting hearburn more random, keeping notes can help narrow down your individual heartburn triggers. Keep a record of food and drink, the time of consumption, activities you engaged in before, during, and after, including the symptoms you experienced, for a minium of one week.

Once you've eventually identified your individual triggers, you don’t necessarily have to removed them from your life – reduce the rate at which you consume them or perpharbs, replace them with milder versions

Some of the most common hartburn triggers you should look out for:

Spicy Foods – Hot and spicy foods are also well known heartburn triggers.

Caffeine – Drinks laden with caffeine like coffee, soda, and iced tea have been known to offend the esophagus on more than one occasion. Studies on caffeine intake have found that it can relax the muscles in the esophagus.Beer & Wine – While all kinds of alcohol can weaken esophagus, beverages with low ethanol content – like beer and wine – add fuel to the fire since they also significantly increase the production of acids in the stomach. If you like to imbibe and reduce the odds of experiencing heartburn, high ethanol drinks like whisky, gin, and cognac do not increase acid levels in the gut.

Fatty Foods – Healthy fats like cheese, nuts, and avocado can be just as triggering as greasy foods like burgers and french fries.

Acidic Food & Drink – It’s a no-brainer that foods high in acid, like oranges, grapefruit, lemons, and other citrus fruits can prompt painful acid reflux. Even tomatoes can trigger an episode. Be also mindful of fruit juices, especially when your stomach is already empty.Mint – Although herbs in the mint family, like peppermint and spearmint, possess beneficial qualities for digestion, this same mechanism of action can work against heartburn sufferers.

4. Manage Your Stress

Learning the various stress management techniques is a ways to improve your health, alongside taming heartburn. There are numerious stress fighting foods and essential oils that can equally keep the anxiety at bay.

5. Wear Loose Fitting Clothing

When you already suffer from heartburn, wearing a skin tight cloth around the torso puts undue pressure on the abdomen and this will only make the situation worse.

Until you're certain your acid reflux is under control, put those skinny jeans aside for meantime and put on something looser.

6. Eat More Heartburn Fighting Foods

High Fiber Foods ­­– Consuming a diet rich in fiber benefits the entire digestive system by moving food quickly through the stomach and into the intestines. Whole wheat grains, cereals, and pasta offer a good source of fiber, as do peas, lentils, beans, artichokes, broccoli, turnips, and raspberries.

Probiotics – Supplying the gut with good bacteria may help foster a better balance of stomach pH. Although more research is needed on the impact of probiotics on acid reflux, we do know that fermented foods keep the digestive system healthier and working as intended.

Ginger – Long used to treat digestive issues, ginger can help speed up the breakdown of food in the gut to hasten gastric emptying. This means less time for food to sit in the stomach and for acid levels to rise. Ginger also possesses natural anti-inflammatory and pain alleviating properties.

Turmeric – The wunderkind of root vegetables, turmeric is enriched with antioxidants which can help heal the gut. It is also an anti-inflammatory powerhouse that can ease stomach and esophageal irritations while providing pain relief and speeding up digestion.

Drink Water – Perhaps the simplest of fixes, drinking plenty of water throughout the day can help prevent and ease heartburn symptoms. Because most tap water consists of a neutral pH of 7, it can help make the contents of the stomach more alkaline.

7. Chew On Things That Produce Saliva

Everyone knows mouth saliva is naturally alkaline, eating and chewing on things that stimulate saliva production can help calm acid reflux in the moment.

Chewing gum, sucking on a sour ball, or snacking on crunchy veggies like raw carrots, celery sticks, and cucumber slices will jump start the salivary glands to lower pH levels in the digestive tract.

8. Don’t Eat Less Than 3 Hours Before Bedtime

Eating a large meal and lying down is a sure fire way for heartburn to rear its ugly head. Dealing with a terrible case of heartburn when you are trying to sleep is uncomfortable, but if nightly heartburn episodes are a common occurrence, it can put your health at serious risk.